Taipei prosecutors yesterday sought the detention and incommunicado custody of three people, including a former green energy official, on suspicion of corruption, while releasing several others on bail after questioning.
The former official, Cheng Yi-lin (鄭亦麟), is suspected of having accepted bribes from two private companies during his tenure as deputy executive director of the Green Energy Industry Promotion Center (GEIPC), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Established by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the GEIPC oversees the government’s green energy initiatives, including planning, resource allocation, policy design and legislation.
Photo: CNA
Cheng allegedly funneled bribes from Tungwei Construction and HD Renewable Energy (HDRE) through bank accounts registered under the names of relatives and friends, disguising the payments as “consulting fees,” prosecutors said.
Without providing more details about the case, prosecutors said he pressured Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) to grant favors and is under investigation for illicit gains under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) as well as money laundering.
Based on information available on the companies’ Web sites, Tungwei is a real-estate developer, while HDRE provides a range of green energy services, including developing and building solar projects, electric vehicle charging stations and energy storage facilities.
Acting on a tip-off, prosecutors on Monday searched 22 locations across Taiwan, including Cheng’s residence and the offices of the two companies, and summoned several people for questioning. They also requested documents from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taipower.
After initial questioning, prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to detain and hold incommunicado Cheng, Tungwei founder Chen Chien-sheng (陳健盛) and his son Chen Kuan-tao (陳冠滔).
Meanwhile, HDRE’s general manager, identified only by his surname Chou (周), was released on NT$1 million (US$32,728) bail. Cheng’s parents were each released on NT$100,000 bail, while a friend surnamed Hsu (許) and a retired Taipower official surnamed Hsiao (蕭) were freed after questioning.
In a separate statement, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) that whenever evidence warrants judicial investigation, the law would be strictly enforced without leniency.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Monday said the government has zero tolerance for criminal activity, adding that anyone found guilty in the case would face the full weight of the law.
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